Promising the Earth

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As lofty claims go, this one's a 25th floor penthouse suite with 24-hour concierge service.

Shelby Supercars - the firm that created the 256mph Aero TT (pictured) - says it will next year unveil the world's first 100 per cent green supercar, the Ultimate Aero EV. If that's not enough to get your hyperbole detector twitching, read on.

SSC says the Aero EV will be powered by a 500 horsepower electric motor boasting true supercar performance.

Furthermore, the firm reckons it could even stretch to a 'twin' version of the same motor, putting out 1,000bhp through all four wheels.

There's more. SSC claims to be developing a 'revolutionary power source... with the possibility of several years between charging'. Really?

"I think we can do it faster, leaner and cleaner than any other manufacturer," says SSC boss Jerod Shelby, clearly not a man given to understatement.

SSC says the first prototype will arrive in February 2009, with production cars appearing at the end of next year.

It may sound improbable, but don't forget that SSC managed to get a car to 256mph while all around mocked. This, though, represents an even stiffer challenge. Best of luck, chaps.